Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-12-23


mischief. De good Lawd on'y knows
whar my trubbles'll end Har it is mex
day but one to Christmas, n Sam n
yo' chillen jest a-killin' your ole mudder
with yo' nantics. l wor gwine to get up
some ribbons an things to make We look
spectacle on dat 'casion, but my hopes
is all swished in de bud; dar's no mo-
reckonin' on things; dar's too much do
ms. Misty Ann tole yo' old mudder
wha' 20 brudder kiaphus trowed at ar
red stuff, or yo'll see me no mo- after dis
yer day, foreber n foreber."
The girl looked up for a moment,
startled at the threat; but she had prob
ably heard it great many times before,
SO she only said:
HE throwed it on the groun', man.
| my. Look outen de winder an YOU see
it."
Us looked out oh der winder, an OBJ
served dat dar amt mo- den a spoonful
skittered about Now dar war hull
bowl full o stuff Wha's come OBJ it,"
Il do'no," said Misery, sullenly.
"Gal, you does know" and Aunt
Katie pulled the child up by one arm,
and shook her till Ida, who had been
playing with headlesS doll, burst into
tears; and this brought Aunt Katie to
reason, for Ida was her favorite grand
Cilllu, anu al OT pldH
shes unwuthy, like her fader befo'
her., wrathfully declared the woman,
as she left the child and went into the
closet. "Well, dar amt no sort o use
gittin' tree, for dar won't be nothif' to
put on it, as | knows, an | wor gwi
fer to have likely Christmas; bu
done gone up now.'
Miss Car line allus gives us sometin,"
said Ida, "A Misery Ann took up the net
sobbing softly; "mebby she's got some
| mo- oh de stuff. I'll go an ask her" and
| without waiting for her grandmother's
consent the girl ran up to the big white
! house.
And up the steps sure of being well
| coined. for she was a favorite on the
| plantation. In one of the great parIors,
! on whose polished floor rugs of rich
| Eastern fabrics We'd with walls of a
pearly tint and furniture of the hghtest
and ARREST materials in making a cool,
rich interior, sat Catherine Chesterton
| and friend who was visiting her from
| an adjoining State. Both We're pretty,
and engaged with some light, tieecy fan
| cy-work that had cost them months of
| labor already. Just now they happened
| to be talking of Sans family.
| THAT little Ida is rather nice child"
said Miss Joe, Hates guest.
| Eyes. she is the best of the bunch, but
| they are a troublesome set" was the
| quick reply. IF anything is missing,
we go to Aunt Katie,s cabin-that is,
any little thing, you know-or outside
on the premises. l suppose Aunt Katie
takes advantage of the situation, and
| presumes on her long service. Well, she
did nurse Philip and when we were
Tablespoon Philip-and so in mammals
eyes she can do no wrong"
zone of the boys came up here yester-
day for buttermilk,' said Miss Joe.
| THAT was Josephus," said Kate,
laughing; she is worse than all the rest,
always in mischief, and surly-looking
fellow. Some one taught him to read,
| and he has been worse ever since. l
said something that didn't please him
| the other day, and l haven't laid eyes on
my beautiful Portia since. But mother
| won't hear one word against him, be-
cause Phil liked him. My own private
opinion is that Phil taught him to read. :"
Ida sat down on the doorstep, her head
| in her hands. She wanted to hear every
| word, since she had learned that they
| considered her the best of the family,
and she had not long to wait. Some one
asked:
''And what of the father of this inter-
| esting householder
ooh! he's worse than any of the rest
spends his time fishing, and takes all the
! privileges pertaining to Aunt Katie's
husband. But papa has found out that
he is Sinking work lately, and is going
to get rid of him just as soon as the holt
| days are over. One of the Louisiana
| planters wants him, SO we shall be well
| rid of him."
Ida ran down the steps, and at the
| gate encountered Mrs. Chesterton, who
had been driving, and who had the sad
| deSt and most beautiful face, Ida thought
| that there was in the whole world,
| though she was very white and frail and
| suffering.
"Have you got your Christmas-tree
ready yetf asked Mrs. Chesterton, as
the little girl stood bashfully before her.
| "No," said poor Ida, with a great sob
| in her throat; II don't want any," and
ran across the road before anything more
| Sould be said.
| infection wild your ways, an dars a-talk-
| in bout sendin you to de dark vally an
! de shadder of death, New Orleans and
| then the woman broke down, as a howl
| from the youngsters rent the air.
| HE sen me to Orleens!" laughed Sam;
"well, now who done tole 20 dat ar
| coCk-an-bull stOry?"
! "You is neglectin eberything, Sam
| you wife an chillen, de wuk in de field,
| an losing 70 character for integrity, 70
know 20 is; an whas wuss, we can't tell
what it's TO, an what 20 is gwine from
| 20 home 70, day after day, widout no
| legal an honest means fer to show why
you do thus an SO. Das What's breakin
| me clean down, Sam, an de inherent
| cbill,rnc foa1S II hood lnnl 1nU
| does, Sam"
well, well, Katie, faint TO long, keep
up, honey, till after Christmas, an den
| YOU sing de jubileetum-das all l kin
say fer to comfort yo. AS for my gwine
| away from Mars Cheston," he added,
with large gesture of contempt, "why,
| honey, | shouldn't wonder if Yves all
rich as Creepy, after Christmas.
Else herd dat ar talk till Ise tired"
said Aunt Katie, YEARLY. ''Well Ise
warned 20 an can't do. no mo. .Dey's
| 81 wonder what ails the child?" Mrs
| Chesterton unused; but the sun was hot.
and the pain began again in her side
| and there stood Kate and her friend
Miss Joe, waiting to help her up the
steps. SO by the time she got to her room
she had forgotten al about Ida.
Meantime, down in the little cove at
| lne eAtIelile euSe OF the planIatlOn, with
| green, fragrant things all about him, and
the scent of the pine in the air, black
| Sam stood upon the margin of the water.
| making things straight and ''taut," and
| now and then laughing and Struggling
his great, broad shoulders, as he talked
| in a winsome way.
Oars almos' de last vi'ge-tank de
| Lawd-an' Is got de consent of de pus-
| son mos interested-tank de Lawd agin.
| l hasn't but twict mo- to go, an den I'll
be free to 'splain all dis yer dark bust
| ness" and he laughed aloud. "Po' ole
| Katie, OATS de wuss OBJ it. Kinder hard
| to make b'leeve ter de wife of ones
bosom; but faint gwine to last foreber,
chile-'taint gwine to last foreber!'
Then, after all was made tight and Sc
cure, he took from his pocket a piece of
paper, and danced as he unfolded it.
''Dat's de bill, an it's all right. reck-
| on-Mars Chest will pay it like man,
| an be glad to. Laws! what dey will saw
| an do! 1t make me f1iberty in nv mind.
| an unsteady on my legs to think ont
yah, yah, yah!' and he clapped his hands
| and laughed exultantly as he put the pa
per back in his pocket.
The moon rose before he was ont of
the little patch of woods that bounded
his garden fence. Aunt Katie had fin
ished supper and washed up the dishes.
Now she sat modify in the yard with
| the children playing about her-all but